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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — happening now
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. rash — hasty
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. track — a song
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. rash — a series
  10. track — a path
  11. fall — the season
  12. track — to keep track
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. ball — a great time
  15. fall — to drop
  16. current — electric
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — letters
  19. pass — a permit
  20. ball — a dance
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. spell — a short time
  23. toast — bread
  24. fall — to drop

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com